Governor Deal Announces 2017 the Year of Film in Georgia

This past Wednesday morning under the gold dome of the Georgia State Capitol, Governor Nathan Deal declared 2017 the “Year of Film in Georgia“, leveraging the state’s rising image in the global filmmaking community to encourage people to choose Georgia as a vacation destination and to explore locations from popular movies and television series.

Representatives from Local 479 joined with Lee Thomas and members of Georgia’s Film Commission, along with representatives from Local 600, Local 798, SAG/AFTRA, the Georgia Production Partnership, the Georgia Film Academy, the Georgia Studio Alliance, Marvel Studios and more to demonstrate the appreciation of Georgia’s film and television industry for the continuing support of state leadership.

Jennifer Brett of the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Buzz Blog quoted Speaker David Ralston as saying “I am excited by the success of this industry. As long as I sit in that office, there will be no bigger fan of that tax credit and this industry than I am.”

Accompanied by a video of Local 479 members thanking the General Assembly, Governor Nathan Deal underscored a strong and enduring commitment by state leaders to support Georgia’s entertainment industry, which continues to grow and create jobs while spurring business and real estate development.

The contribution of Local 479 to the state’s successful tax incentive program was officially recognized during Morning Orders by Representatives Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) and Butch Parrish (R-Swainsboro), and during lunch break the local hosted a luncheon for members of both the House and Senate Economic Development & Tourism committees.

As part of the “Year of Film in Georgia” initiative the Georgia Department of Tourism has created a guide to locations from popular films made in the state.